Otelo Burning

 
Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand. Bangkok. September 27, 2012. I find many of the films that are shown as part of the FCCT's on-going Contemporary Film Series, boring and poorly conceived, but once in a while, a memorable and moving picture is shown, and the South African film Otelo Burning, is just such a picture. Otelo Burning is a 'growing-up' tale of a group of youngsters who are lifted out of the drudgery of their racist-ridden lives -- and the dangers of political factionalism -- by the exhilarating joys of surfing. It takes place in a slum near the beach city of Durban. The cast is mostly made up of amateurs, and the film seems to have been shot with a hand-held camera on location, which gave the production an air of authenticity. While providing some hope and uplift, in essence, Otelo Burning depicts a human tragedy, one that is all the more moving because it is so real. To date, the film has been shown and applauded at many film festivals, but it is now set for release in theatres, and if it comes to a location near you, it is worth seeing. This evening's screening at the FCCT was introduced by South Africa's ambassador to Thailand, who gave an eloquent and simple statement of the events surrounding the time when Mandela was released from prison, which coincides with the action of the film.